Exact Sciences says two staples of winter—cold weather and flu season—have led patients and doctors to cancel more medical appointments than usual in recent months. As a result, the growth of Cologuard, Exact’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer screening, has slowed, the Madison, WI-based company said. Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), which is developing screening tests … Continue reading “Exact Sciences: Severe Flu Season Slows Down Cancer Test’s Sales”
Category: Wisconsin
Bio Roundup: Meldonium Slip, Kratom Crackdown, Zinc Fingers & More
The 2018 Winter Olympics will end soon, and we did not skate through these games without a performance-enhancing drug allegation rearing its ugly head. This time, the drug in question was meldonium (Mildronate), a product widely available over the counter in Russia and some Eastern European countries. Though Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindeks markets meldonium for … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Meldonium Slip, Kratom Crackdown, Zinc Fingers & More”
Exact Sciences Shares Fall, Despite Better-Than-Expected P&L Results
Exact Sciences reported quarterly profit-and-loss results Thursday that beat many analysts’ estimates. However, investors did not on the whole appear to be impressed, sending the company’s stock price more than 6 percent lower in after-hours trading. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]), is developing screening tests for a variety of cancers. Its flagship product is Cologuard, … Continue reading “Exact Sciences Shares Fall, Despite Better-Than-Expected P&L Results”
Forget Perfume Counters: Phlur’s A.I. Is E-Commerce’s Scent Sherpa
Austin—It stands to reason that if any industry could resist the tidal wave of e-commerce, it would be the fragrance business. After all, how can you smell a perfume or cologne online to decide if you like the scent? But Eric Korman, founder and CEO of Phlur, says the startup can make it easier for … Continue reading “Forget Perfume Counters: Phlur’s A.I. Is E-Commerce’s Scent Sherpa”
Exact Targets Large Hospital Systems to Boost Sales of Cancer Test
Exact Sciences is setting its sights on large hospital systems across the country as part of an effort to get more doctors to order Cologuard, Exact’s stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer screening, for their patients. Madison, WI-based Exact (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]) launched Cologuard in 2014 and as of last month, nearly 102,000 clinicians in the … Continue reading “Exact Targets Large Hospital Systems to Boost Sales of Cancer Test”
Dohmen Company to Sell Life Science Services Subsidiary
Dohmen Company, a Milwaukee-based conglomerate of healthcare businesses, said earlier this week that it had sold its subsidiary Dohmen Life Sciences Services, or DLSS. The buyers are New York-based private equity firm JLL Partners and Water Street Healthcare Partners, a Chicago-based healthcare investor. Dohmen did not disclose specific financial terms in its announcement of the … Continue reading “Dohmen Company to Sell Life Science Services Subsidiary”
With Brandery Tie-Up, Gener8tor Continues Expansion Across Heartland
Gener8tor plans to hold its first entrepreneurial training programs in Ohio later this year, marking the latest step in the Wisconsin-based organization’s regional expansion. Launched in 2012, Gener8tor helps startup companies with things like pitching their products, adding users and customers, and raising money from investors. Gener8tor itself invests in and takes equity stakes in … Continue reading “With Brandery Tie-Up, Gener8tor Continues Expansion Across Heartland”
Shine, BrightStar, Understory & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Shine Medical Technologies completed construction on an 11,400-square-foot prototype production facility, where it will train workers and test its particle accelerator-based technology for producing a radioisotope used in diagnostic medical imaging procedures. The company said that this summer, the facility “will … Continue reading “Shine, BrightStar, Understory & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture
As college undergraduates, my roommate and I had what we called a “monowardrobe.” That’s how we described the contents of the closet that lined a wall in our dorm room. We each organized our own clothing on either side, but since we both wore the same size in clothing and shoes, we “shopped” for outfits … Continue reading “XRC Labs Chief Anthos: Retailers Must Adopt “Test and Learn” Culture”
LGC Acquires Lucigen, Marking Latest Exit for CEO Ralph Kauten
Chalk up another exit for Ralph Kauten. Kauten, one of Wisconsin’s more successful biotech entrepreneurs, is chairman and CEO of Lucigen, a Middleton, WI-based vendor of life sciences research tools that on Friday said it has been acquired by LGC. LGC, which is based in the U.K. and says it has 2,300 employees, provides testing … Continue reading “LGC Acquires Lucigen, Marking Latest Exit for CEO Ralph Kauten”
Arrowhead Plans Return to Clinic With New Study of Hep B Drug
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is back in the clinic. On Thursday, Pasadena, CA-based Arrowhead—which houses its research and development operations in Madison, WI—said regulators cleared the company to initiate a clinical study of a drug it’s developing to treat chronic hepatitis B virus. Arrowhead (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARWR]]) said it expects to enroll about 60 patients in the Phase … Continue reading “Arrowhead Plans Return to Clinic With New Study of Hep B Drug”
Bio Roundup: Trump’s Budget, Biogen’s AD Reveal, Hugin’s Run & More
Another week of White House chaos and American gun violence. Amid it all, we tried to parse what the Trump administration’s 2019 budget proposal meant for the biomedical and life-science worlds. There was talk of tackling high drug prices in the budget document, but nothing to give Medicare direct negotiating power with drug companies or … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trump’s Budget, Biogen’s AD Reveal, Hugin’s Run & More”
Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector
Take a look at this blurb for a session about data privacy at the upcoming RSA conference on cybersecurity. It sounds a polite warning: “The importance of privacy is often alluded to in generalized, value-laden terms that, while sincere, don’t necessarily help privacy be taken seriously in the enterprise risk management process.” That situation is … Continue reading “Europe’s New Data Privacy Rules Nourish U.S. Privacy Tech Sector”
Stratatech Begins Test of Engineered Skin for Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Stratatech is moving forward with tests of a genetically engineered human skin that could heal the sores and wounds many diabetic patients get on their feet. Madison, WI-based Stratatech, a subsidiary of U.K.-based Mallinckrodt (NYSE: [[ticker:MNK]]), said Wednesday that it had enrolled the first patient in a study of the skin tissue, called ExpressGraft-C9T1. Stratatech … Continue reading “Stratatech Begins Test of Engineered Skin for Diabetic Foot Ulcers”
Shipping Wars: Walmart Launches Free Delivery for Sam’s Club Members
In order to better position itself against competitors like Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: [[ticker:COST]]) and Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]), Sam’s Club, the bulk retailer owned by Walmart (NYSE: [[ticker:WMT]]), is now offering free shipping for many items as part of a revamping of its membership programs. With a $100 annual fee—just one dollar more than the cost … Continue reading “Shipping Wars: Walmart Launches Free Delivery for Sam’s Club Members”
Startups Peddle Innovative Tools to Fight Tech’s #MeToo Problem
As the last year has shown, the tech industry has a significant problem with sexual harassment and ensuring that women are treated equitably in the workplace. Now, some founders are seeking to use tech tools such as chatbots, artificial intelligence, analytics, and mobile to help clients remedy those deficiencies. One of those founders is Heather … Continue reading “Startups Peddle Innovative Tools to Fight Tech’s #MeToo Problem”
FDA’s Rachel Sherman on Right to Try, Succession Trouble & More
The opioid crisis. Right to Try legislation. The first human trials of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. These are just a few of the many topics at the feet of the FDA this year. Speaking at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, principal deputy commissioner Rachel Sherman, the FDA’s second in … Continue reading “FDA’s Rachel Sherman on Right to Try, Succession Trouble & More”
Stem Cell Firm Cellular Dynamics to Provide Heart Cells to Takeda
Fujifilm said it plans to use stem cells developed by Cellular Dynamics International, a Wisconsin-based company it owns, as part of a new partnership between Fujifilm and Takeda Pharmaceutical that’s aimed at developing regenerative medicine therapies. Takeda and Fujifilm, both headquartered in Japan, recently signed a contract giving Takeda the global commercialization rights to therapies … Continue reading “Stem Cell Firm Cellular Dynamics to Provide Heart Cells to Takeda”
Trump Budget Touts Lower Drug Prices, But No Medicare Negotiation
As president-elect, Donald Trump in January 2017 slammed drug companies for “getting away with murder” and said he supported Medicare negotiation. He vowed during last month’s State of the Union speech that drug prices “will come down.” Today, his administration’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal laid out what it calls a “comprehensive” strategy to lower drug … Continue reading “Trump Budget Touts Lower Drug Prices, But No Medicare Negotiation”
Foxconn, Gener8tor, URP, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
Keep up with the latest news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Foxconn purchased a seven-story office building in downtown Milwaukee that will serve as the Taiwanese multinational’s Wisconsin headquarters, according to a news release issued by Gov. Scott Walker. Foxconn, which is perhaps best known for assembling iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets … Continue reading “Foxconn, Gener8tor, URP, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Buying Shoes? Digital Stylists Use A.I. to Suggest Clothing to Match
The black skirt had multiple personas. The fact that it was made of leather gave it an edgy vibe, but its A-line fit-and-flair cut was more flirty and feminine. “I fell in love with it,” says Michelle Bacharach, co-founder of FindMine. “But as soon as I brought it home, I wondered, ‘how do I wear … Continue reading “Buying Shoes? Digital Stylists Use A.I. to Suggest Clothing to Match”
Execs Talk Hurdles As Immunotherapy Combos, CAR-T Launches Progress
With multiple products on the market and many more coming, it’s easy to think that cancer immunotherapy has arrived. In reality, however, we’ve only just begun to figure out how to coax the immune system into killing cancer. That’s why a mad dash is on to expand its reach, and a panel of experts invested … Continue reading “Execs Talk Hurdles As Immunotherapy Combos, CAR-T Launches Progress”
Fintech Startup Autobooks Raises $10M from Group of Midwestern VCs
Autobooks, the Detroit-based financial technology startup spun out of Billhighway in 2015, has raised $10 million in a Series A1 funding round. Contributors included Draper Triangle, Baird Capital, Detroit Venture Partners, Invest Michigan, and CU Solutions Group. Steve Robert, CEO of Autobooks, says this latest round comes a few months after the company raised a … Continue reading “Fintech Startup Autobooks Raises $10M from Group of Midwestern VCs”
As Trump Budget Addresses Opioid Crisis, BIO Report Reveals Scarce Pain Drug Development
[Updated 2/12/2018, 1:37pm ET, see below.] With the opioid epidemic showing little sign of letting up, new ways of treating chronic pain are desperately needed. But the development of non-addictive, non-opioid pain drugs lags far behind drug R&D for other diseases (I wrote a few months ago about why that is), and a report from … Continue reading “As Trump Budget Addresses Opioid Crisis, BIO Report Reveals Scarce Pain Drug Development”
FDA Nod for NorthStar Device Clears Way to Make Medical Radioisotope
A Wisconsin company has moved one step closer to becoming the first domestic producer in decades of a crucial medical radioisotope after receiving a key approval from the FDA on Thursday. The agency approved a device developed by Beloit, WI-based NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes that could be key to supplying a radioisotope whose scarcity has sparked … Continue reading “FDA Nod for NorthStar Device Clears Way to Make Medical Radioisotope”
Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Questions, Migraine Races, HIV Battle & More
The top biopharma story of the week involves the fast-moving field of lung cancer, which, as we’ve written previously, has several key trials reading out in 2018. A big domino fell this week: data from a two-drug immunotherapy combination developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb. But the results, touted as positive, left more questions than answers. First, … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Lung Cancer Questions, Migraine Races, HIV Battle & More”
4490 Ventures Raises $49M Fund to Support Startups in Midwest
4490 Ventures, a Madison, WI-based venture capital firm that supports startups in the Midwest, has raised $49 million for its second fund, according to a document filed with federal securities regulators on Wednesday. Greg Robinson, managing director at 4490, says the document is an “interim filing” and 4490 plans to finish raising its second fund … Continue reading “4490 Ventures Raises $49M Fund to Support Startups in Midwest”
Instant Gratification: Whole Foods, Target Offer Same-Day Delivery
[Updated 2/8/18, 1:39 pm.] The race is on to sign up consumers seeking same-day delivery of groceries, household items, and personal goods. Late on Wednesday, Amazon (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMZN]]) announced it has started free two-hour delivery of products from Whole Foods Market, the most significant example of the e-commerce giant using technology at the Austin, TX-based … Continue reading “Instant Gratification: Whole Foods, Target Offer Same-Day Delivery”
Fiserv to Net $395M from Partial Sale of Business to Warburg Pincus
Fiserv, a financial technology business that has fueled its growth in part through a series of mergers and acquisitions, said Wednesday that the private equity firm Warburg Pincus purchased a controlling interest in Fiserv’s lending unit. Brookfield, WI-based Fiserv (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FISV]]) said Warburg Pincus, of New York, acquired a 55 percent share in Fiserv’s Lending … Continue reading “Fiserv to Net $395M from Partial Sale of Business to Warburg Pincus”
Medical and Patient Groups Warn Congress Against “Right to Try”
Dozens of medical organizations and patient advocacy groups are pushing back against so-called “right-to-try” legislation that passed the Senate in August and is now under consideration in the House. An open letter sent today to House leaders is the latest opposition to the Republican-led push to give desperate patients access to experimental drugs without FDA … Continue reading “Medical and Patient Groups Warn Congress Against “Right to Try””
Virtual Assistant Startup iDAvatars to Shut Down, Seek Buyer
Sophisticated virtual assistants could become powerful tools in healthcare, finance, and other sectors, but the market for them is still relatively small and fraught with potential pitfalls—especially for startups. The story of iDAvatars, a Mequon, WI-based company that develops software allowing users to interact with virtual assistants, is one of the latest reminders. The firm … Continue reading “Virtual Assistant Startup iDAvatars to Shut Down, Seek Buyer”
Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand
Walmart’s tech incubator in Silicon Valley, Store No 8, has acquired Spatialand, a virtual reality software firm, as its third portfolio company. While much of the focus in using VR has been on gaming and entertainment, “virtual reality has the potential to reinvent the consumer experience—with an experience we call contextual commerce,” according to a … Continue reading “Walmart Brings Virtual Reality to Retail With Purchase of Spatialand”
Pay It Forward: Capital Drives Bio Innovation in San Diego & Beyond
After starting Organovo in 2007, I spent much of the next decade as CEO seeking financing to advance our bioprinting technology. Because I stepped out of an operational role early last year, I am now in a position of providing financing to aspiring life sciences entrepreneurs. The change has caused me to reflect a bit … Continue reading “Pay It Forward: Capital Drives Bio Innovation in San Diego & Beyond”
E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift
Houston—Knowledge is power, but too much of a good thing can render data meaningless. That’s the struggle many retailers have in an age of data analytics. Think about the retailer e-mails we receive daily or the ads that appear on Google or our social media sites. Though based on our Web searches, those ads don’t … Continue reading “E-Commerce Firm Dearduck Uses A.I. in the Hunt for the Perfect Gift”
Entrepreneurs Look to Angels and Micro-VCs for Cash
You don’t need me to tell you it’s a rough world out there for startups. Venture capitalists have been unusually stingy lately, hanging on to billions of dollars they’d typically be channeling into promising young companies. When those investors do open their wallets, they’re shunning risky investments in favor of what the Wall Street Journal … Continue reading “Entrepreneurs Look to Angels and Micro-VCs for Cash”
Electric Harley, Ab E, D2P, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
During a ceremony held at dawn on Friday in Sun Prairie, WI, Jimmy the Groundhog saw his shadow, which according to Groundhog Day lore means Wisconsin will not be having an early spring this year. Whether it’s frigid temperatures, flu season, or something else keeping you indoors, take a few minutes to stay current on … Continue reading “Electric Harley, Ab E, D2P, & More: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist”
Bio Roundup: Wilson’s Warning, Amazon’s Health Biz, Moderna Cash & More
The State of the Union address was…. long. At one hour and 20 minutes, President Trump fell about 9 minutes shy of the high mark. But those who stayed tuned in heard comments about several health policy matters. The president credited the FDA for a record number of generic drug approvals in 2017, which PwC … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Wilson’s Warning, Amazon’s Health Biz, Moderna Cash & More”
Microsoft to Provide Backing for Gener8tor’s Detroit Programs
Microsoft has expanded its partnership with Gener8tor, an organization that holds training programs for entrepreneurs in several Midwestern states, to support startups with connections to the Detroit area. Wisconsin-based Gener8tor said that with support from Microsoft (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]), it will enroll up to 15 companies in free, seed-stage accelerator programs each year. Startups selected to … Continue reading “Microsoft to Provide Backing for Gener8tor’s Detroit Programs”
Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias
In his now infamous memo, ex-Google engineer James Damore cited scientific evidence to illustrate why women may not be suited for jobs at some of today’s leading tech companies. Women, he argued, are biologically more attuned to “people” jobs rather than “thing” jobs, like those in technology. But what Damore was doing, others pointed out, … Continue reading “Xconomy Bookclub: “Inferior” Peruses Science’s Historic #MeToo Bias”
Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen dramatic but volatile price surges during the past year. But this month their billions in estimated market value are eroding, amid widening suspicions against one trading platform, a half-billion-dollar heist from another exchange, and an awakened global regulatory community. Warnings are on the rise from regulators, researchers, banking executives—and … Continue reading “Look Out, Investors: Cryptocurrency Values Slide As Warnings Take Off”
Epic Upgrades Records-Sharing App in Bid to Improve Interoperability
Epic Systems says it’s added new features to Care Everywhere, a software application allowing the company’s 300-plus hospital and health clinic customers to share information about their patients. About 190 million people have a current medical record in Epic, according to the Verona, WI-based business. When members of this patient population go to another hospital … Continue reading “Epic Upgrades Records-Sharing App in Bid to Improve Interoperability”
As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption
As an Xconomist, I have been asked to predict what technology might really take off in 2018. My response is something of a “cheat” in that it relates to artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that has been poised to take off next year for the past several decades and a topic about which I have … Continue reading “As A.I. Takes Off, We Need a Plan to Deal with Societal Disruption”
Your Smart City Is Stupid
Cities have been called a repository of possibilities. What they haven’t been called, at least until recently, is smart. These days, however, the term “smart city” is everywhere, pimped by tech giants like IBM, Google, and Cisco, and embraced by various mayors, city managers, and chief innovation officers from Silicon Valley to Rio to Dubai. … Continue reading “Your Smart City Is Stupid”
After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety
[Updated, 1/31/18, see below] Gene therapy pioneer James Wilson and University of Pennsylvania colleagues sounded an alarm Tuesday morning about the use of gene therapy to treat severe diseases like spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sending a chill across the sector. Shares of several companies inched downward as word spread about the UPenn … Continue reading “After Paper Shakes Sector, Gene Therapy Leader Jim Wilson Talks Safety”
Amazon’s New Healthcare Venture: Insurance, Drugs, or Something Else?
After months of speculation that Amazon could soon expand its presence in the healthcare sector, the Seattle-based online retail leader said Tuesday that it plans to launch a joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to provide the three companies’ U.S. employees “with simplified, high-quality, and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost.” The companies … Continue reading “Amazon’s New Healthcare Venture: Insurance, Drugs, or Something Else?”
Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed
Tech vendors know when they knock on the doors of local politicians to pitch smart cities technologies and promising billions in savings, they are going to find a receptive audience. Big Tech promises what politicians desperately want to hear: that we can address deep-seated, structural urban problems through business-led technological innovation and somehow sidestep the … Continue reading “Evicted from the Smart City: No Citizens Needed”
Building a Smart City Upon a Hill
In my Los Angeles neighborhood there is a gnarly 5-way stop. It’s all stop signs, and because of the number of accidents, the city is considering switching to traffic lights. I receive letters from the street department giving me updates and inviting me to comment. There have been multiple neighborhood meetings. Officials have gone a … Continue reading “Building a Smart City Upon a Hill”
Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter
When I lifted the lid on the Glowforge laser cutter to reveal the family portrait engraved on a wooden jigsaw puzzle, it brought a smile to my face like few other tech products I’ve used before. This simple project—enabled by a very complex machine—was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. I … Continue reading “Here’s What I Made (Finally) With My Glowforge Laser Cutter”
Exact Sciences, Generic Drugs, WEDC & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist
Catch up on news from Wisconsin’s innovation community with these recent headlines: —Citron Research published its second report in the past 12 months arguing that prospective investors should think twice before buying stock in Madison-based Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EXAS]]). The company’s flagship product is a non-invasive, stool-based DNA test for colorectal cancer called Cologuard. In … Continue reading “Exact Sciences, Generic Drugs, WEDC & More: This Week’s WI Watchlist”
Armune Bio’s Cancer Detection Tech Finds New Home with Exact Sciences
The annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, held earlier this month in San Francisco, is a popular venue for biotech companies to announce new deals and milestones achieved. One such announcement from this year’s event has largely flown under the radar: Madison, WI-based molecular diagnostics company Exact Sciences acquired Armune BioScience, a cancer diagnostic startup with … Continue reading “Armune Bio’s Cancer Detection Tech Finds New Home with Exact Sciences”